Although I, like everyone who saw it, thoroughly enjoyed Endgame, I did NOT like at all the way they mostly ruined (in my opinion) Thor, turning him into a self-involved, pathetic excuse of a man, who easily walks away from his responsibilities. If you enjoyed that version of Thor, you won't like this story. I'm more interested in the Thor that was mute with anger and shame at the beginning of the movie. I could've had Willow battle Thanos, but the story would be over too soon. I decided to go another way that allows for maximum story potential. My story is 5 chapters long with a few windows opened for follow up stories.

Warning: This chapter DOES contain some spoilers for the beginning of Endgame. Go watch the movie this weekend before you read if you don't want any spoilers. It is minor, however. However, I do NOT follow the action exactly as the movie, so keep that in mind.

Chapter 2: Gone

*****Where We Left Off*****

Willow held up her hand to blast Thanos, but he sensed the threat and kicked out, knocking Thor into her. The very heavy man hit her hard, knocking her to the ground.

Buffy and Faith, however, didn't hesitate to jump in as Steve hit the giant with both his shields. Somehow, the giant alien phased them to fall threw him and batted Steve away like he was just a gnat.

Thanos kept holding up his gauntlet covered hand and effortlessly defeating all attackers. When Buffy and Faith got a chance to go at him again, the same thing happened.

Finally, Thor moved to swing his axe again—this time aiming for the head. But it was too late. Thanos held up his hand and snapped his finger.

Willow screamed out in in agony as she felt the violation go through the Earth. "Buffy!" she screamed.

Buffy turned and moved to go to Willow. Then she watched in horror as her body began to turn to ash. "Willow?" she said in disbelief.

"What the hell's going on?" Faith asked. She turned and saw the man with the robot arm dissolve.

Then others around them began to dissolve.

It was a nightmare.

An unspeakable horror that neither slayer could have imagined.

Neither could the Avengers as they stared in silence at the various piles of ash that used to be someone they loved.

"How could it take Willow?" Buffy asked. Her grief and shock too strong for tears. "She was so powerful."

"So was Wanda," Steve said. He looked at Rhodey. "Sam?" Rhodey shook his head. His two closest friends—gone.

Steve looked up at T'Challa's right hand, Okoye. "He's gone," she said in despair. "Why was I spared, but he taken? Wakanda needs him, not me!" The fierce warrior didn't even realize the tears were rolling down her cheeks as she looked at their armies. So few left. Wakanda was destroyed.

Buffy's heart beat hard as she suddenly worried about her own family. Willow was gone. Who else had been taken? She looked at Faith. "Willow is the most powerful being on the planet, and she was taken. How does anyone else stand a chance? We have to get home," she said.

"We have to kill that son of a bitch!" Faith shouted.

Buffy looked at Steve Rogers and Thor, waiting to see their response.

"I'm all for killing Thanos," Steve said. "But he used the stones to open a portal—he's gone. We don't know where he went."

"Willow could've found him," Faith said.

"Willow is gone," Buffy said, her mind still unable to process what happened. "She was directly connected to Earth, and he somehow managed to turn her to ash. How? How did he do it?"

"He had these infinity stones," Natasha said. "They gave him the power of a god."

"Do you think what happened here happened everywhere?" Buffy asked.

Rhodey looked sick at the thought and glanced at Thor.

Thor nodded. "With a snap of his finger, he took out half of the population everywhere," he said. "He believed that the universe existed with limited resources. He thinks his actions are acts of mercy."

"He's a total psycho," Buffy said in disbelief.

Thor nodded. "He is called the Mad Titan," he shared.

"Faith and I have to get home to New Jersey. Can someone help us? Willow teleported us here, but she's gone," Buffy said, her voice breaking on the last word.

Thor didn't know what else he was supposed to do, so nodded. "I can take you," he said.

"We'll meet you back in New York," Steve said.

Thor nodded.

"You are welcome to join us while we figure out what to do next," Steve said to Buffy and Faith.

"Okay," Buffy said. "I'm sorry we didn't really make a difference in the end."

Faith was seething with helpless rage. "This is bullshit," she said. "How could anyone just snap their fingers and eliminate half the planet?"

"Unfortunately, he didn't just eliminate half the population on Earth," Thor shared. "He did it throughout the universe—all of the Nine Realms."

Buffy and Faith exchanged a look of disbelief. How could they defeat a being with such power? Could they fix what had happened?

******Newark, New Jersey*****

The witches at the council's headquarters were all showing severe levels of anxiety, so Giles had called everyone home.

"I don't like this, Giles," Xander said. Whatever slight alpha sense he had left over from his hyena possession was snarling inside. "There's something about to happen that will be catastrophic."

"Buffy and Willow are there with the Avengers in Wakanda," Giles said. "They'll stop it."

"Do you really think so?" Dawn asked, feeling scared. For some reason, she felt like she did the time Glory had her on that tower. That was not a feeling she'd ever had again—not even when Sunnydale was destroyed. The past three years, she'd finished high school and tested out of an entire year of college. She was in her junior year at Princeton, and life was great. It was less than an hour drive, so she could come home whenever she wanted. Now, though, she had a sick feeling inside.

"I do, Dawn," Giles said, putting his hand on her shoulder in reassurance. She came home at least one weekend a month, and he was so proud of the woman she had become. Poised and beautiful, she'd gotten offers from several places. However, she decided to go to a school close to them all. Of course, Princeton was no compromise as it was a premier Ivy League school.

"I think that Buffy doesn't know how to fail. If there's a way to stop whatever is threatening the planet, she will do so," Giles said.

"And Willow," Kennedy added. "Willow is the baddest witch around. She will kick ass." They were no longer a couple, but they were still good friends.

Vi and Rona were the only other slayers from the old Sunnydale final battle that was stationed in the United States. Rona was normally in Cleveland with Andrew, and Vi was in Los Angeles with Spike and Angel. Kennedy was stationed in the United Kingdom with Robin as he was running things in London. At first, Giles had been and Robin was in Newark, but last year, Giles requested the switch. He didn't like to be so far away from his girls. As Faith and Robin had broken up, Robin was glad to put miles between him and a pissed Faith. Rona and Vi, along with Kennedy, had come to a training conference Faith and Buffy were putting on for all the slayers. That's how Faith and Buffy were both in the same place to go lend a hand to the latest threat. Normally, Faith and Buffy took turns putting out fires wherever they were needed. One would always stay in New Jersey while the other would take care of whatever was needed.

All of them were now anxiously waiting for word. All of them were looking to Giles to offer reassurance. He forced a smile. "I am confident that the three of them are fine and doing their part to put down this latest foe," he said. "After all, they aren't doing it alone, but with many of Earth's mightiest heroes."

"Do you think they'll meet Thor or Captain America?" Dawn asked with a glimmer of excitement.

"Of course," Xander said. "There's no way they'd not be there if it's as bad as Willow sensed."

The group was silent a long moment. Then Kennedy's eyes widened. "Something's wrong," she said.

Everyone turned toward her, ready to fight whatever foe was coming, but then she began to turn to ash.

"What the hell is happening, Giles?" Xander asked in horror.

"I don't know," Giles said.

Before anyone could even move toward her, though, she was gone.

"She's a freakin' pile of ash!" Rona exclaimed. "What did that?" She looked around for an enemy.

Then Vi began to dissolve. "I don't feel right," she said.

Rona reached for her hand, and it dissolved inside of hers.

"Giles!" Dawn scream in terror as she saw Xander began to fade.

"Dawnie," he said. "Tell the girls I'm sorry for leaving you."

"Xander!" Dawn yelled, reaching for him.

It was too late—he was gone.

Giles heard screams throughout the building and had a sick feeling that whatever was happening there was happening everywhere.

Dawn ran into his arms. "What's happening, Giles? How can we stop it?" she asked.

"I-I don't think we can," he said, feeling more lost than he could ever remember feeling. "The girls must not have been able to stop it."

Dawn bent over. "Giles, it's going to happen to me! I can feel something. Something's not right," she gasped. Her cells felt aflame.

"Try to fight it," Giles said. Shouldn't her keyness protect her? Surely, she wouldn't be taken from him, too. Giles wanted to scream at his own impotence and fought to push down the nausea.

Dawn didn't dissolve like the others, though. Something else was happening with her.

"Giles, we have to do something!" Rona said, feeling overwhelmed and terrified. Vi and Kennedy were gone. Xander was gone. How could they save Dawn?

A green glow began to emanate from Dawn. Then it grew as her flesh began to dissolve, turning to ash like all the others.

"I'm sorry, Dawn," Giles whispered in despair.

"What's the green smoke?" Rona inquired.

"It's her true form," Giles said. "It's not smoke. It's the essence of the key. I thought it was gone, but clearly, I was wrong."

The green smoke got more substantial and kind of hovered. "Is it going to attack?" Rona asked.

"I don't think so," Giles said. "It has to have some part of Dawn imprinted on it." The Key was ancient with vast, unknown power. It might be possible that the Key could do what he could not—help stop or reverse what was happening. "Dawn? Are you still there?"

Dawn Marie Summers, sister of Buffy, was hanging on tightly to the mystical energy that made up the Key. She could hear her name being called, but her eyes—they'd dissolved.

How am I alive? She looked at her form and saw only green. Realization hit her as she felt a deep pang of sorrow. I am the Key. What does that mean?

"Dawn, if you can hear me, if you're still there, can you let me know?" Giles asked.

Somehow, Dawn could still see him—the good, brilliant man, who she admired more than anyone but Buffy. Oh, goddess! Buffy! She would be so upset. Only a year ago had she finally stopped having bodyguards follow Dawn everywhere on campus. Now, her human form was destroyed.

"Dawn?" Giles asked.

Dawn tried to nod her non-existent head by moving up slightly and then back down.

"She moved!" Rona exclaimed. "She's still Dawn somehow."

"Dawn, you have to go out onto the universe and find someone powerful enough to help fix what's happened," Giles said. "Whatever's happened has probably happened everywhere. You are not confined anymore to this world. Go. Get help. Find a way to save Xander—to bring him back to us."

Dawn could do that—she could go for help.

"Whatever part of you remembers your humanity, hold on tight to it, Dawn," Giles said. He feared that she'd soon become consumed by her key nature. "You might be our only hope."

Dawn moved up and down, hoping to show her agreement. Then she tried to reach out to him, wanting to feel contact. When her essence touched him, it was like she could see inside his soul. In an instant, she knew him—all of him. His past, his present, his likes and dislikes, all of his memories were suddenly hers. She felt the wrongness of this violation and moved away from him.

How did she do that?

"Don't be afraid, Dawn," Giles said. "You can do this."

Dawn could feel knowledge seeping inside her. Dawn Marie Summers was not really who she was—it wasn't even the biggest part of who she was. She could feel the Earth and the great death that was creepy across its surface. What had happened there was happening everywhere.

Thanos. The name came into her consciousness. Somehow, she knew the name, and the threat he posed to all life. His great act of evil—genocide of life everywhere—could not go unpunished.

She would find someone who could undo what he did. Someone that could put her back into her body.

Giles watched as the green ball of energy went up to the ceiling and out of the building.

"Do you think she can do anything to help?" Rona asked.

"I don't know," he said. He hoped so. He held out his hand to Rona, knowing she would need the contact even more than he. She took his hand and waited for his instruction. "We must see who else has been taken."

The two walked around the property seeing several more piles of ash. Eventually, Rona couldn't take it anymore and collapsed, sobbing.

Giles put his hand on her shoulder, too numb to cry. Andrew and a few other watchers, witches, and slayers were also in various degrees of mourning.

Then a bright flash came into the room, and both threw up their hands. "What the heck was that?" Rona asked. They moved to the nearby window to see.

"It's Buffy!" Andrew exclaimed, his relief obvious.

"And Faith," Rona said. "Thank God!"

Buffy and Faith let go of Thor. "That was a wild ride," Faith said.

"Thanks," Buffy said to him. "Would you mind sticking around for a bit? I don't know what I'm walking in to."

"Of course," Thor said. He needed something else to focus on rather than his complete and utter failure. Even with his new weapon, he had failed to kill Thanos. His brother was dead. Heimdall was dead, and Asgard was destroyed. He was such a failure as king—Loki was right. Asgard deserved better than he.

He followed the two women. He had seen them in battle, and they reminded him strongly of his father's Valkyrie. A desire to see his Lady Sif hit him hard. Was she dead like her brother and his Warriors Three?

Buffy's eyes scanned the group that rushed out to meet her. Where was Dawn? Where was Xander? Please let them be alive!

"You're alive!" Andrew exclaimed, running to hug her. "What happened?" Then he realized who was with them as his eyes fixed on Thor. His mouth shut as he was overwhelmed by the hero's presence.

"Giles!" Buffy said in relief as she saw him. Giles embraced her. Then, she pulled back and looked for Dawn. "Where's Dawn and Xander?"

"They're gone," he said quietly. "Kennedy went first. Then Vi. Then Xander."

"Dawn's dead?" Buffy asked, trying to take in the loss. "Xander and Willow are both gone?"

"Willow's gone?" Rona asked. "How could anything kill her?"

"Thanos snapped his finger and half of people in the universe just dissolved," Faith said bitterly. "It was random from what we could tell."

"Dawn isn't exactly dead," Giles said. "Her physical body is gone, but her keyness was still there."

"She turned into a giant gas ball," Rona said. "But she seemed to understand Giles. He told her to find someone in the universe that could help us. She left."

"But she's not dead?" Buffy asked, trying to understand.

"I don't know how to answer that, Buffy," Giles admitted. "Her body dissolved, but her essence remained. We don't know much about her keyness. We thought it was gone after Glory, but we were wrong."

"Did you say Key? Your sister is the Key?" Thor asked.

"Buffy, is that Thor?" Andrew whispered.

"Oh, sorry," Buffy said. "Yes, this is Thor. He gave us a ride here. We're going to meet up with the other Avengers who remained and see if we can fix what's happened. Thanos, this alien, has these all-powerful infinity stones that gave him the power of a god. He did this."

"Did it take the Avengers?" Andrew asked.

"Many have fallen," Thor said grimly.

"Captain America and the Black Widow were still there," Buffy said.

"If your sister is the Key, she cannot be destroyed," Thor said. "She was rumored to created by my father's father eons ago. I know not for certain because she has been lost since my father was a boy. How did she come to be in Midgard?"

"She was fashioned from me and given to me as a sister so that I would protect her from a hell god that was on Earth," Buffy said.

"That is extraordinary," Thor said. "I am so sorry that she is gone. Thanos murdered my brother, who had one of the stones.""

"I'm sorry. We have to find a way to reverse what's done," Buffy said. "Then we both can get back our siblings. We need to get those stones from Thanos because this cannot be our world."

"He is not on Earth anymore," Thor said flatly. "Without a powerful sorcerer, we cannot possibly track his essence. I have not the power of my father."

"I will contact the Coven and see who is still alive," Giles said, glad to have something to do.

"How many did we lose here?" Buffy asked.

"Slightly more than half," Giles said.

"Vi and Kennedy are gone," Rona said. "Xander's last words were, 'Tell the girls I'm sorry for leaving.'"

"That's Xander," Faith said, her eyes filling with tears. "Always thinking of his girls before himself." She reached out and took Buffy's hand.

Her act of compassion broke down the wall Buffy had built. She could no longer contain her grief, falling to her knees.

How can they be gone?

******Chapter End******

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